Donna Vanderberg, 63, of Bradenton, FL, died Aug 5, 2001.
She was born in Battle Creek on Oct 17, 1937, to Donald and Helen (Moog) Putnam. In 1968, Donna, her husband Bud and three children moved to Kalkaska. She worked as an office manager in the oilfield industry until her retirement and she and Bud moved to Bradenton in 1999.
Music was a joy and comfort to her all her life. she played guitar and sang in the band Buddy Van and Donna Vee and the Apache Cowboy, primarily at the Manistee Lake Resort. Word games were a favorite especially crosswords. Scrabble and she devised a Big Big Boggle game when the original was not challenging enough. Extremely active in community activities, she helped organize some of the first sled-dog races, school carnivals and charity talent shows. With her sparkle, flair and zest for life. Nana brightened the world for those she touched.
She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Roberta Thorngate.
Survivors in her beloved family include husband Willis (Bud); son Edward (Tina) Vanderberg of Lafayette, LA; daughters, Dawn (Ed) MacKeller of Kalkaska and Tamara (Gerard) Gravelyn of Grand Rapids; brother, Michael (Jeanne) Putnam of Jackson; and sisters, Patricia Price of Kalkaska, and Peggy (Carl) Menconi of Boston, MA. Alsu surviving are grandchildren, Renee (MacKeller) Sheffer, Nathan MacKeller, Jennifer Herweyer, Christy Vanderberg, Shane Vanderberg, Jeremy Ball, Aaron Vanderberg, and Jordan and Lauren Gravelyn; great granddaughters Victoria and Kita Sheffer; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial gathering of family and friends to remember Donna will be at the Wolfe Funeral Home, Sat, Aug 11 at 3 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Foundation.
